Chapter 2

ADRIAN

I’d made a lot of regrettable mistakes in my twenty-seven years of existence.

At the very top of that list was agreeing to be in a five-year relationship with someone who would end up being a liar and a cheater.

But I was beginning to realize that wasn’t even my worst mistake— and that was saying something.

My absolute worst mistake had to be hooking up with a random stranger I met in a club.

And not just any random stranger, a stranger that turned out to be my student.

The one that was currently sauntering towards me now, an arrogant smirk on his face.

This was all Dylan’s fault.

Apparently, the universe decided that him cheating on me, after five years of being in a relationship, with his twenty-two year old ‘sister’ wasn’t punishment enough.

I had to make an even worse mistake.

A reckless, whiskey-fueled mistake.

The lecture hall slowly emptied around me.

Students chatted amongst themselves as they packed laptops into bags and filtered toward the exit.

I smiled politely. Answered questions. Shook hands with people.

All the while, I was acutely aware of a pair of brown eyes following my every movement.

He’d stopped a few feet away from where I stood, watching me interact with the students, as if waiting for his turn.

I tried to keep my emotions in check and ignore him as much as possible.

It didn’t surprise me that he hadn’t run as fast as he could to avoid me after class.

Lucas Carter didn’t strike me as the kind of person to run from a challenge. Or from an uncomfortable situation.

Even that night, he had come across as domineering and confident. He didn’t let my hostility brush him off. Instead, he’d stuck around until he succeeded in dismantling all my defenses.

One by one.

I’d needed it at the time. Needed to feel wanted and desired. To prove I wasn’t the problem.

But now, being in this current situation, maybe I should’ve tried harder to resist.

Five minutes later, the last student disappeared through the door.

The room fell silent.

I stacked my notes into a neat pile before slipping them into my leather briefcase.

I tried to remain calm even as I registered the footsteps echoing through the hall as he approached me.

One thing I prided myself on was my composure. It was also, ironically, Dylan’s problem with me as he admitted when I confronted him after he cheated on me.

My nonchalance apparently annoyed him.

What had he called me again? 

Ah, yes.

A cold, functional robot.

How could I forget? It was only the most insulting, dehumanising thing I’d ever heard.

Lucas’ steps were slowed, unhurried. Confident.

He acted like he had all the time in the world. Like someone who thought he was in charge.

He stopped a few steps in front of me and waited.

I paid him no attention.

Instead, I focused on placing my laptop neatly in my bag.

On the outside, I was sure I looked calm and composed.

Inside, I was a mess.

My heart throbbed hard in my chest. My stomach rumbled violently.

I felt like I was about to be sick.

This was the worst possible situation to be in.

“Do you still remember who I am?” he asked.

His voice was deep. Even deeper than I remembered.

One thing that remained though was his ability of making the most innocent of words sound absolutely dirty. I had no idea how he did it.

It was just like that night, when he whispered filthy things in my ear…

I closed my eyes briefly and let out a little breath.

“Of course, I do,” I replied. “Unfortunately.”

If only I could forget what was one of the best nights of my life. Not even being with Dylan for five years had given me that much rush.

If Lucas heard the last part of my reply, he didn’t react.

He just stood there in silence. Like he was waiting for something.

What, I didn’t know.

I didn’t look at him. I kept myself busy, arranging the papers neatly and zipping the briefcase.

After a long moment of silence, he clicked his tongue.

“Seriously? No greeting? No acknowledgement? Nothing? I’m a little disappointed. I expected better from you… Professor.”

That finally made me look up. 

His grin widened.

“I thought we knew each other better than that,” he continued. “Intimately, might I add.”

I sighed. “There’s nothing to discuss.”

“Really?”

“Yes. What happened last week was a one-time occurence. A mistake.”

His smile faded slightly.

I ignored it and continued, “It’s best if we forget about it and never mention this again.”

For a moment, he simply stared at me. 

Then he chuckled softly. Like I’d told the world’s funniest joke.

“I’ve been called a lot of things, but a mistake isn’t one of them.” He clutched at his chest dramatically. “That hurts, you know. I thought we had a fun night.”

I folded my arms and leveled him a stern look. 

“Fun or not, talking about it isn’t appropriate. Now if you’ll excuse me…” I picked up my briefcase. “I have other important matters to attend to.”

He stepped in front of me before I could take another step toward the door.

I stepped back in surprise and he took a step forward.

I took another step back and he hurried to close the distance.

He didn’t stop advancing until my back met the table behind me and I was pressed up against it.

I leaned back to create some more distance but he only leaned forward, smirking down at me.

My eyes widened in shock as I stared up at him. This close, I could see the tiny green flecks in his eyes. They were just as distracting as that night.

His ash-blonde hair swooped across his forehead messily, giving him an almost irresistible look.

His woodsy cologne filled my nostrils, surrounding me intimately until I was almost heady with it.

I pressed my hands against his chest, trying to create a little distance between us.

All I could think of was how inappropriate this was and how anyone could walk in and see us in such a compromising position.

He didn’t seem to care, though. If anything, his eyes glittered as he stared down at me.

It was like he was enjoying this. Like all this, my sanity, my integrity… was nothing more than a game to him.